Author: Atreyo Mukhopadhyay

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Pune In India, the team looks up to him, especially when the chips are down. There is a reason for it. He is deadly in these conditions, as the records confirm. Cerebral and creative, he does tricks with the ball that few can. Not without a reason do they call him India’s greatest ever match-winner on home soil. The time has come for Ravichandran Ashwin to do that once again. The team is trailing 0-1 in the three-match series. At stake are World Test Championship (WTC) points, which will determine whether India can become the only team…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Pune Sometimes, players returning from injuries are under additional observation. The media keep asking the team management about their progress and follow their every step. Each move they make is subjected to scrutiny. In the context of the India-New Zealand series, this cricketer at the moment is Shubhman Gill, who missed the first Test due to a stiff neck. To be fair to him, Gill has looked earnest enough to make a comeback. He was seen batting in Bengaluru during breaks in play. Even in Pune, before the second Test, he spent hours at the nets on…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Pune All eyes are on the pitch at the MCA Stadium. Speculation is rife that it will assist spin. The Indian team has added spice to such talks by naming Washington Sundar in the squad. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate added intrigue to everything by saying that another off-spinner might be a handy option against a New Zealand batting line-up containing a number of left-handers. As the plot thickens and the Indian team contemplates how to come back in the three-Test series after losing the first, there is no doubt who the best bet is. Be it…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Pune After rains in Bengaluru, a blazing sun greeted the teams in Pune. With that, the focus turned to the pitch at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, in the outskirts of the cultural capital of the state. India must win the second Test against New Zealand to harbour hopes of clinching the series and confirming a berth in the World Test Championship final. The playing surface was covered in the morning. That was natural, considering that there was some rain here as well, until 48 hours ago. When the Indians arrived for practice in the afternoon, the…

He lives in Auckland. He likes coming to India and, currently, is on his fourth visit to the country. He loves Indian food, especially the fare in Kerala, and prefers masala dosa over KFC when he is here. Thrilled to see New Zealand win the first Test in Bengaluru, he says he will have no regrets even if his country loses the next two. There is nothing unusual about that. Save for the fact that Peter Calder is 73 years old. This retired journalist is travelling alone and is prepared to take the local train to go to the ground…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Bengaluru Instead of a disgraceful defeat, which was looming at one point of the first Test, the Indian team heads for the second heads held high. Monumental humiliation was on the cards after they got bundled out for 46 and New Zealand took a lead of 356 runs. From there to raise hopes of a miraculous win before eventually losing was a creditable performance. Chances are high that opponents will remember this resilient team instead of the one that surrendered in testing conditions on the first day in Bengaluru. In Pune, in the second Test, the side…

Atreyo Mukhopadhyay in Bengaluru There are concerns over the participation of Rishabh Pant in the second Test against New Zealand. In the match to take place in Pune from October 24, there is no doubt about the absence of someone else, who has also handled wicket-keeping responsibilities for India. If Shubhman Gill recovers from a stiff neck, Sarfaraz Khan will retain his place in the XI at the expense of KL Rahul. This doesn’t cast a long-term shadow on Rahul’s future. Neither does it make him uncertain for the Australia tour. What it ensures is he will not add to…

Deep third-man is a lonely corner in Test cricket, when it comes to fast bowling. Very few target this area, unless specifically equipped and inclined. For a long stretch on Day 4 of the first Test against New Zealand, Sarfaraz Khan made it the most-travelled place for the ball. Rishabh Pant was responsible for absurdity of another kind. In great discomfort due to a knock on a troublesome part of the right knee, he partnered his Under-19 World Cup teammate from the 2016 batch in hauling India back from despair. The flow of fours and sixes was stronger than in…

Smiling assassin is a commonly used word in cricket. Mostly, it’s attributed to bowlers who celebrate the dismissal of batters with a genial expression on their face. When people expect them to let out a war cry, they do the opposite and show no sign of aggression. There are not too many players who can be termed smiling assassins, irrespective of their role in the team. Contemporary cricket has one in Rishabh Pant. He is not a bowler and he smiles all the time. Be it while ‘keeping or batting, no matter the situation of the match, he always maintains…

Hoping against hope after disaster. For a long time in the second and third sessions on Day 3 of the first Test against New Zealand, India put up a brave front. They showed what they had lacked in the first innings and dominated the attack. Virat Kohli’s dismissal on the last ball of the day brought them back to where they were — looking at despair. Weather permitting, and it may not if one goes by the forecast, there are two more days to play. For India to salvage anything will require a giant second-innings total. After 46 all out…